26% of people who suddenly have very intense back pain see the pain settle over time. Here are the risk factors that contribute to this development.
- Obesity, smoking, disability, depression, anxiety and unsuitable care contribute to installing pain on a daily basis.
- Back pain, in 26% of cases, can become chronic
Obesity, depression, inadequate treatments… A new study of JAMA points out the risk factors that can lead to having back pain all the time following a pain attack.
Too much inadequate care
Beforehand, the researchers established that the people whose punctual back pain turns into recurrent pain are much more numerous than what was estimated until now. “Recent evidence has challenged the prevailing belief that acute low back pain resolves within 3 months,” write the scientists. “A systematic review indicated that 26% of patients with acute low back pain progress to chronic low back pain”, they point out.
Then, the study points out the factors that generally contribute to the onset of pain over time. Among them: obesity, smoking, disability, depression and anxiety. The researchers also established that the administration of inadequate care for an episode of acute back pain generally caused patients to switch to chronic back pain. “Caregivers who recommend, for example, treating pain by lying down or prescribing opioids are not directing patients to appropriate care,” explains rheumatologist Jean-Paul Marre.
Nine out of ten French people have already suffered from back pain
To reach these conclusions, the scientists analyzed a cohort of 5,233 patients with acute back pain, recruited via 77 healthcare practices. “Almost half of the patients were exposed to at least one recommendation that did not comply with official care guidelines in the first 21 days following their medical visit”, they notice.
Nine out of ten French people have already suffered from back pain, according to an OpinionWay poll for Vexim. Among those affected by what is now called the “evil of the century”, 38% say they have had back problems more than 10 times in the past five years. The health crisis and the explosion of telework only worsens this trend.
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